Erin,

No wonder you are stressed out. Feeling like you are loosing ground is such a worry, especially when one is doing PT and other things to help the body.

I'm wondering if maybe you could you have an infection? There are some viruses that can hang around for months and mess around with the nervous and other organ systems, so maybe you can be tested for them?

Shingles, Herpes & Epstein-Barr (mono) come to mind...but there are a few other viral possibilities.
My doctor ordered a bunch of blood tests last week to see if a virus might be causing my joint issues and increased neurological symptoms.

It might be worth asking about it when you see your doctor.
Hope that you get some answers and feel better soon.

With love, Erika

I suspect an infection, but I really think it's something like a UTI. Last couple of UTI's that I've had, they were kind of silent. Had no idea that I had one until after I peed in a cup and had them play with their chemistry set.

Don't feel good this morning, probably because I think I got about three hours of sleep before my phone and doorbell started ringing. Someone forgot to tell me the plumber was coming today. (parents were taking my car that I can't drive to the body shop to get it fixed from the accident my dad had with it) I missed the phone, and it was the plumber at the door calling me. I ended up having to call the plumbing business to call the plumber for me and tell him to wait because of the whole disabled thing I've got going on right now.

I still feel pretty bad this morning. Just waiting for the plumber to get done before I start calling doctors.

Had an appointment to go to the doctor today. My dad had taken my car to the body shop this morning to get some damage that he did to car fixed.

So, when it was time to go to the doctor, we went and got into his van to leave. He went to start the car, and it was a car full of failure. Dead battery.

AAA is fixing the car right now, but I missed my appointment. I got another one for tomorrow but we have a snowpocalypse approaching. I better be able to get to the doctor tomorrow.

I didn't get much sleep last night because of the plumber showing up so early.

I swear there is some weird unknown force that is trying to keep me from dealing with ms stuff.

Me, going to today's doctor's appointment - 0

The Snowpocalypse - 1


argh!!!!!!!

At least I got an appointment with my actual doctor tomorrow now. Which will probably be the last time I ever get to see him. I'm going to ask them for copies of all my medical records, and will be asking my doctor to recommend me a new doctor. I'm so disappointed that my new-and-decidedly-not-improved insurance won't work with their office.

Erin,
I'm glad that you'll be able to see your doctor tomorrow...even if it is for the last time. At least there is some history there and he/she knows it.
Wishing you luck and some answers as to why you are feeling worse these past weeks.

I got a call from my doc's office, asking me to go in after I get some more blood work done. I'll get the blood work that I need to have done tomorrow and have made an appointment to see him on Thursday morning. Hmmmm....

With love, Erika

Good luck to both of you at your PMD visits this week.

Don't forget to let us know how things go.
ANN

No UTI. He is sending the sample out to be cultured tho. Said that some of the symptoms might be neurogenic bladder. (great...). Oh, and when he was palpating my abdomen because I've had some uncomfortable sensations there, he saw a mole on my stomach that he thinks needs to be removed. Said it looks a bit suspicious. He also looked at a big red spot on my stomach, said it looked like a pimple. I've never had a zit on my stomach. It's a big red spot tho. I noticed it the other day and freaked out. It's not as icky looking as it was the other day tho. At least he didn't think that was something to worry about.

I didn't ask him if my weird symptoms in the legs was transverse myelitis. Because I noticed if I use big words like that, doctors always think I've been googling. So, I just tell them in little words. Said I'd have to go see my neuro for that.

He did make me feel a little better. Said that while it might be distressing to me because I'm the one experiencing everything, he said that looking at me, things going on didn't look that bad to him from a medical view. Told me to relax, go see the neuro and the physiatrist.

Spent a little while talking about some stuff with him. Told him how I've lost all my doctors. I need to replace him. He told me that when I find a possible doctor, to call him up and ask him if he knows that particular doctor and he can tell me if the new doctor would be a good one or not.

Told me why I lost my doctors. The largest association of doctors in Omaha is a group called Alegent. Alegent didn't want to give a discount to my particular insurance company on some things. Another smaller group, called Methodist said they'd give the insurance company a discount. So that insurance company made Methodist a tier 1, and made Alegent tier 2. Which is what made my insurance with Alegent "out of network".

So now, because of that I have to either go downtown, to midtown, or find the one or two family practice doctors that might have their own clinics.

It's so freaking inconvenient to me. I have a perfectly good group of doctors that I used to be able to go to that's five minutes from my house that I can no longer use. Now I have to drive downtown where it's hard to find parking, and everything is a major walk to get from the car into a doctor's office.

I almost started crying in the doctor's office because I'm so stressed out by everything.

Oh, while I was at the doctor's office and still out in the waiting room, my physiatrist called me. (the actual doctor, not just a nurse). I'd called him the other day because I want to get hand controls for my car. He was calling me back to tell me what I need to do. I have to have my eye doctor send him something saying that my eyes are ok to drive. (conveniently I already have an eye appointment scheduled on monday) Then I have to get evaluated. If all that is ok, then I can let my dashboard on my car get chopped up to put in hand controls. (that's the part that I don't like. Cutting my car up to put them in)

And then I asked the physiatrist about getting the Bioness electronic thingamajig for the drop foot. Altho, I'm wondering if I should wait on that because I lost the physiatrist in the insurance fiasco. (maybe I can get the other brand of electronic thingamajig that I was more intrigued with if I get it from another physiatrist?).

Since I have to go to the physiatrist before I do the hand controls thing, I'm going to make sure that the physiatrist knows about the walking issues and increased numbness and unsteadiness. Maybe I'll end up with another brace on my other leg.

I just feel like smacking somebody around today. Not really, but I'm just
so sick of this winter from he!!. AARGH. I usually love winter, with a bit
of snow and cold. It's invigorating and fun. Not exactly looking forward to
the hot humid summer either. Why can't it be Spring, then Fall, then back
to spring again? Do I hear some Yays?

I must make an appt soon with my PCP, for my annual journey, which I
always dread, 'cuz I don't wanna go through all the turmoil of going out
of the house. And I refuse to go out in this frigid snowy weather.

DSS is coming over Sat to get my mini van and outdoor scooter serviced
and ready to go, so I don't have to worry about that. But I haven't called
the Doc yet. Maybe March will be better?

I guess you're tired of my inane whining now, so I will close with, I want
my Mommy....Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!

"Do I hear some Yays?"
YAY!

"I just feel like smacking somebody around today."

How about the pain devil? Somebody hold him down so Sally can run over him with her tuned up scooter & then we can all smack him around .

With love, Erika

Erika, did you have your visit w your doc this week?

ANN